The Other Side Of Nothing
by Cats eye1
Summary: When poverty and hatred rule your life nothing is worth living for, how can love survive? An AU fic when the outcome of the 1st scoresses war was very different. Squall/Rinoa and Seifer/Quistis PLEASE read and review (got no reviews last time) PLEASE!
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything and I'm completely broke!

**A/N: **Sorry I haven't written anything lately I haven't had a computer and things have been a bit bumpy. Thanks for all the support I've had in the reviews for my stories they have really helped. I don't think many people will like this story and in all my stories I've tried to look at things in another light. I'm sorry if people think it's done in bad taste but I feel that I should write this story and I will write a happier one in awhile. It's an AU fic. After the first sorceress war (Adel as in no ultimaticia – my friend didn't get that – did you Bryony?) things were not so well off and the world was split. Glabadia has all the wealth and Balamb, Centra and Trabia are all in poverty. Esther has remained silent.

 Squall looked out over the ocean before him. He knew he shouldn't be here but he was willing to take the risks. He looked out across the sea. What was it three, four miles? But those miles made all the difference. Four miles away you could have all the food you wanted, education, warm shoes and a warm home but here, what was there here? A crummy refugee camp and a town run by a bunch of fascists.

 Glabadia never thought about Balamb why should it? After the war Galbadia just left the countries it defeated to look after themselves. Estar went into hiding and almost all of centra had been wiped out. They gave the first sign of government that turned up – the Garden Masters - some money and left them to rule Balamb. Thanks very much for that. Now almost every one had left Balamb town. The town was now run by them and was so strict no one could live with it, Zell's mum was still there; bless her, but almost every one else left. All the young men were taken to Garden where they were taught to hate Glabadia and every one who lived there and to fight. The women all stayed at the camp working. That was unless you could run away.

 _Not that that did you much good_ Squall thought bitterly. He remembered Selphie; a small bitter smile came to his lips. She came over from Trabia looking for something better from what he heard Trabia was even worse than this. She was different to the other girls, which unfortunately didn't work to her advantage. She managed to stay happy, youthful, her eyes still vibrant and for that the men here wanted her. She made a change from the other girls here and what men what more then anything is power. Everything here is controlled when you eat when you sleep even when you shit. So if they could have power over her, use her, have the power to take away that light then – then they would have power.

That's why the girls hated her; the men wanted her - not them. They all say they hate what some of the men do to them but deep down they like the attention to feel special. It sounds cruel but here that's what life is. You're a number, a thing, a pawn and all you want, all you crave for is love, power and attention – the feeling you're special – you're different something more than a number but they are never going to give that to you.

 Soon Selphie started to seem older, jaded the light was still there but slowly it was going. Bruises were always on her small petite figure was starting to look more like a stick than ever. Zell noticed this more than ever and him being who he was tried to help her. Tried to stop the men who used her and the women who hated her but Zell couldn't always be there. In the end Zell made a deal with a factory in Galbadia. He would get them two jobs low paying if Zell would steal some of the special Balamb fish that the Garden Masters kept. It was risky but Zell managed it. He saved himself and Selphie. He was one of only 7 over the last 17 years who had managed to escape. Everybody else lived and died here. On this pathetic Island.

Squall looked closely over the ocean sometimes he could see flashing lights of nightclubs were the youths of Glabadia hung out. Tonight was such a night. 

 _I could have been one of them. I could be out there with a girlfriend and a few mates driving a car spending money on booze and food. Having a good time. Instead I'm sitting here on this rock. Spending my days learning to fight, learning how to kill and then returning home – well if you could call it that – to a small tent then having to line up for two hours for food before going to bed for a few hours to be reawaken to learn how to fight and how to die. _

Squall turned away from the ocean disgusted. He remembered when Quistis brought a teen magazine she found that had been dumped here with a load rubbish that Galbadia had dumped. It was all about how to avoid school and letters about people being so unhappy because they were fat or because they didn't have the most recent clothes or the boy they liked didn't like them or they didn't like their stepfather. Squall couldn't help laughing when he saw it. What is wrong with being fat? I'd loved to be fat and I wear basically the same clothes everyday and I'd definitely be ok that the boy didn't like me. What pathetic problems.

 "Squall"

 Squall turned his head slightly, "what?"

 "You'd better come back now they're about to a roll call if you're not there you'll know what will happen."

 Squall looked at her. It was easy to see with the light from the sunset hitting her face why the men thought Quistis was attractive. Her long blonde hair though unkempt was pretty and even though the skin was pulled tight over her cheekbones her face still had youthful elegance. He nodded slightly and got up.

 "Off we go then" 

Squall picked up his gun blade and he and Quistis walked back to the camp. As they went they passed a pregnant woman carrying a wheelbarrow, she smiled to Squall but by doing so her grip slipped on the wheelbarrow and she dropped it. A guard hit her across the mouth. She fell over. There was a small pool of blood and she spat out a small sprinkling of teeth. Squall and Quistis walked on.

 **A/N: **This is just a taster I have no idea how people will react to this story or if they would like it so I've decided to post this and if some one likes it then I'll keep writing. 


	2. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Ever!  
  
A/N: Thank you for reviewing!!!!!!! Sorry just had to get that out of my system. Thanks so much. I'm absolutely FREEZING. My flats got no heating! Not much happens in this chapter but it is important it sets the scene for the rest of the story and the romance will start to happen soon! I promise! Anywhoo please please please please please please please please read and review.  
  
Squall stepped out of the small tent he shared with three other men. Hostility hit him immediately - it was in the air - he looked around trying to see if there was any sign of disturbance. Nothing. So he walked out of the camp towards the Garden. The place was deserted no one was there which was unusual as there were hundreds in refugee camp. Squall walked slowly trying to find anybody who could tell him what had happened.  
  
He saw a woman ushering children into the main tent. He walked over and tried to ask her what had happened. She just shook her head.  
  
Squall frowned. What the hell is going on? Was the plan they all had been training for going to happen now? But they hadn't been trained properly. Maybe Galbadia found out about the plan were bombing them. The only thing Squall was sure about was that something big had happened.  
  
He looked briefly to the left to see if he could see any of the women working at the yard. They were. At least some normality was still there but the guards seemed jumpy and had their guns pointed at the women and the safety off. His eyes searched for Quistis she was trying to say something to the guard. He just laughed and then shoved her face into the ground. His boot on her neck. He was making her swallow the mud. Squall felt anger rising but tore his eyes away and tried to drown out the sound of Quistis choking as mud was forced down her throat. He walked quickly on. If he was seen staring he would join her fate.  
  
Squall reached the Garden without any other disturbance and felt relief as he walked through the front gate but it wasn't a pleasant sight that met him. Zell and Selphie were standing there in hand cuffs with the other people that had escaped. All of them had been returned. A tall cowboy escorted him and was having an argument with a Garden Master. For some reason Squall felt tears well up in his eyes. Hope seemed to have gone. There really was no escape from this Island.  
  
He caught Zell's eye and Zell managed a small smile from his ashen face. He nudged Selphie who just looked at Squall her eyes full of tears. The spirit had been knocked out of her.  
  
Squall moved on he couldn't be late for training but when he reached there it was in up roar. It seemed that the return of the escapees had caused a huge anger. It seemed that it wasn't only Squall who had realized that there was no escape. Everybody had knows now. They are going to live and die here. So are their children and their children's children.  
  
The training room was a riot. The men were shouting and swearing, cursing Glabadia and all who live there. Seifer seemed had taken charge. Great thought Squall we are gonna be lead by a power hungry twat. He walked calmly to his seat and sat down. It wouldn't be long before people came in to sort everyone out and he didn't want to be seen as one of the people who were being unruly. He valued his life.  
  
Squall was right. The guards poured into the room. Shoving people down. Telling them to listen. Seifer got hit repeatedly with a bar and was taken out. Blood pouring from his head. As the sign of their leader had been taken down everybody else seemed to calm down.  
  
The General stood at the front of the class. He obviously had been fighting recently his full belly hung over the top of his trousers and the gold of his uniform glittered in the light. He looked as if he came from a different world from the rest of the people in the room.  
  
The people he was talking to were gaunt. The skin was stretched over the muscles that had been brought about by ten hours of training a day. There was no sign of an over hanging belly in any of them. Their clothes instead of glistening in light were dull and torn. A few with blood smears. The dull lifeless eyes stared at the man in front of them.  
  
"Now as you all should know. The seven people that have been in Glabadia are back. Glabadia have rejected them. Treated them badly made them work for next to nothing. Have abused the woman that have worked in the factories and then when they have finished with them sent them back after spending a week in their prison. The time to act is now. We have put up with Glabadia for long enough. They have ignored us, used us for cheap labour, and blamed us for the problems in the world that they have caused. They even refuse to join an agreement to try and save the world from being polluted. All the pollution comes from them but it affects us so why should they care? They are power hungry, selfish, arrogant, ignorant pigs and they need to be taught a lesson." The General paused for effect. The class was silent waiting for the news that was bound to happen.  
  
"As you know you have been training for a massive attack against Deiling city. The attack will be in progress in two hours. We will be sending five of you. Due to recent events we will be changing the original people. Seifer has been taken off the team and so has Rajin and Fujin for being disruptive." He cast a accusing look around the class. A few people shifted in their seats.  
  
"So we have decided to put Zell and Selphie on the team as they know their way around the city better than anyone and after the way the Glabadians have treated them they will want revenge. Zell will be taking Rajins place and Selphie will take Nida's place. Squall you will be put in instead of Seifer, as you are the best trained and have the same weapon. Quistis will take Fujins place and Nida; you will be briefed as your original job has been changed. Also you will take the Irvine boy, the man who brought the escapees back will be taken as a hostage. The rest of you will be doing other small attacks on other cities and towns. That is all. Thank you." The General turned round as left.  
  
Scared eyes darted across the room. They all knew what that meant. In other words the General had signed their death warrant.  
  
***  
  
Two hours later Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell, Nida and Irvine were sitting on a boat. Waiting. For within an hour they will be at Deiling then the true test begins. As Zell's mum says. You either get busy living or you get busy dying. 


End file.
